wartload

That's "Scare-a-Dactyl"

I was in Hawai'i in the '60s, but wasn't jumping then. The name Dale Orr is very familiar, though. Was he in the Marines and/or did he later jump in NC? I can't quite place him.

*bump*

How do you say in French, "Hey ... hold my beer and watch THIS!"

An early nude skydive is recorded in the links that I posted here under the title, 1970s Skydiving Films (or something like that). Although it didn't catch on, perhaps because they were too far ahead of the times, we referred to those who made nude jumps by their NASIFF number (Naked As S*** In FreeFall) Unfortunately, Sandy wasn't at our DZ back then. Quote

Hey Krip - The canopy that I jumped most of all was a short-lined (36") PC mod that was done by Hugh Bergeron. I did stand-up landings on that as a matter of routine, and before that, almost always did stand-ups on a 7TU "cheapo". Maybe that's part of the reason why I now have problems with hips, knees, and ankles, but the point is that the piglet's landings were a little more like the end of a (round) reserve ride.

Dang, Twardo, I disappear for a year or so and come back to find that you've turned into an ogre. Ok ... into a BIGGER ogre. Yup. That's it.

Jumped a piglet once ... had to borrow it for a demo when my own rig developed an issue. The demo was in the mountains on a hot day. I weighed 180#. The ground was hard and rocky. I thought my hip bones had gone into my chest cavity. Really liked the canopy in the air, and it packed small for its time ... but the openings were "distinct" and the landings for heavier guys were memorable.

Here are two YouTube links to some early Super8 videos that Jim Wisely took at DZs in eastern NC in the 1970s. They were digitized and edited by Gary Holbrook. If you want to see some early sport canopies, and modified US Gov't stuff in action, you'll enjoy these. Yeah ... I'm in there a bit, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzOOjqcssgo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT50OdOwAXE&feature=related

I found some of my material about these guys, and others, from pre-WWII jumping in and around DC. One of their exhibition jumps had them listed in the newspaper ads as "Angels from Hell". Drop me an e-mail and I can arrange to get the info to you.

I seem to recall some East Carolina University people making a water jump near Washington, NC, around 1974, then giving themselves "NASIFF" numbers ... for Naked As S*** In FreeFall.

What a pity that he's gone. Early was a really great guy. My condolences go out to his wife, Barbara, and to Mike, Amber, and others who called him "Dad".

I'll have to search for it, but I have some information about Ray Morders. I believe that I posted some stuff about him here a few years back

I got to wondering about Rob Thundercloud, and found this 2007 posting on a Wooden Boat forum. He sounds like one HELL of a man! (There's more info out there about him.) Raise a glass to passing of a true warrior. Robert Goingsnake Thundercloud has joined his fellow warriors in the sky. Rob did four tours in Viet Nam as a member of the United States Marine Corps and is the only man I ever met with a gold cluster on his Purple Heart. He also earned more combat medals than I can count. When the war was over he had a problem fitting into the peacetime Marines so, as he was a brilliant artist, he went to college, graduated with a degree in art and became the art director for a major manufacturer. All this while serving on the gang unit of the Compton CA Police Department where he was wounded twice in the line of duty. He was the only officer to earn both the Compton PD Medal of Valor and the Medal of Honor since 1921. Rob was a man of honor and a true friend to those of us who were privileged to know him. Our country and truly the world is a poorer place without him. Ann Stephens The Passing Of Rob Thundercloud I am very sorry to have to report the passing of Rob Thundercloud. He died early this morning at home, in the arms of his beloved wife, Merrilee. The doctors were never able to determine exactly what was wrong with him. Merri is so grateful for everyone's prayers and support. For those who want to send a card, her address is 600 Dunn Street, Waxahachie, TX 75165. I think she would love it if you could enclosed a note with some kind of memory of Rob. There will be no service, but she thinks she would like to come out next year for a get-together of Rob's friends (Hello Old Farts!) to share memories and stories. If you would like to email her, you can do so at mailto:[email protected] . Rob was such a huge personality. Our lives are all better for having known him.

1969 ... at a VERY informal club "out in the country": 15 minutes of ground school, most of which was explaining how to judge the wind and how to turn the canopy. There was a brief explanation of how to cut the main canopy away, but the instructor used a Stevens Static Line system for the reserve, and believed that all you needed to teach was the cutaway. 2 SL jumps 1 DRCP on the third jump 3 hop & pops (packed my own main for them and thereafter) 3 10 sec delays Next jump was a 30 sec delay and on my own after that.